Break Free
by jareaufan
Summary: Slightly AU. In childhood and adulthood, Ashley Seaver never had any actual friends. They always immediately cut off contact when they found out who her father was. Lovers always took advantage of her. Then she met Special Agent Dylan Navarro, someone who finally broke free of the trend.
1. The Messenger

**Before I start, I just want to clarify that this story is not completely canon and is actually inspired by a **_**Criminal Minds**_** roleplay I was involved in. So if this doesn't sync up too well with what happens in each episode, don't be worried. In addition, this doesn't follow what happened in the roleplay either; so it's accessible to everybody!**

**The title of this story is taken from a song by Decyfer Down. Every chapter will be named after a song. This one is named after "The Messenger" by Linkin Park. Got it? Okay. That's good.**

**Disclaimer:**** I just write this stuff. I don't own Criminal Minds. However, I DO own my original characters, these plotlines, and everything that goes with them (besides the already established Minds characters of course). **

Ever since she was a little girl, Ashley Seaver (then Ashley Beauchamp), always wanted to do right whenever she could. Why should she force bad things upon herself? Forcing bad things upon oneself always made things worse from what she could tell. After she found out about her father's little secret involving him being a serial killer, she was inevitably disgusted. She immediately knew she had to do something, not to necessarily atone for the sins of whom the media dubbed "The Redmond Ripper," but to make sure nobody else left their families with such a nasty feeling.

So here she was - after the mandatory four-year college degree, a barrage of various admissions tests, forms, and background checks -, Ashley Seaver the FBI Agent-In-Training, sitting in a crowded auditorium waiting for the optional lecture on homicidal theory to start. Finally, it felt like she was doing something worthwhile, and she wasn't planning on jeopardizing this chance if she could help it. She was almost two months from finally graduating and couldn't go back now.

However, judging from the actions of the two Agents-In-Training sitting closer to towards the stage, not everyone had the same outlook. She watched as Erickson and Williams taunted Franklin, a nice man and fellow trainee whom she had several courses with. Franklin was on the scrawny side and therefore was more often than not the target of Erickson and Williams, who had been with the State Police before applying to the FBI Academy and were fairly muscled as a result. She wished that she could take care of the situation, but despite her own athletic prowess, she didn't stand a chance against the much larger men.

Almost as if on cue, Ashley felt a presence next to her and looked up to see a woman not much older than herself holding a blank legal pad and pen. Judging from the fact that the woman was not dressed in the standard blue polo shirt and khaki pants attire of a trainee, but rather a faux-leather jacket, black concert t-shirt, jeans and had a Glock 23 attached to her hip – Ashley assumed that the woman was an Agent who had decided to attend the lecture on her own time to further her knowledge. The trainees were used to the occasional Agents joining them during these optional lectures, as they were open to all Agents willing to come. However, more often than not the ones that did attend stuck together and didn't associate much with the trainees.

"Is anybody sitting here?" The Agent asked, gesturing with her pen to the empty seat next to Ashley.

Ashley shook her head and got out of her seat next to the aisle. "No. But I'll just move down, you can have my seat Agent."

"Thanks Trainee…" The Agent started as she pulled her black hair into a ponytail and settled into her seat.

"Seaver." Ashley offered half-heartedly, her focus back on Erickson and Williams who were now taunting Franklin by stealing his notepad and textbooks.

She was surprised that one of the older trainees wasn't stopping them. Usually Jefferson - a former Baltimore detective who had just managed to beat the age limit - was at the sessions and would put a stop to Erickson and Williams when the just-out-of-college trainees like her were scared to. Heck, even one of the attending Agents would normally calm any of the trainee fires, angered at the immaturity that was interrupting their valuable time. She didn't spot any in this lecture besides the one sitting next to her, but seeing as the woman was of similar stature to herself, she feared pointing out the situation.

"What's the deal?" The Agent asked as she studied Ashley, curious as to what had taken the trainee's focus.

Ashley simply pointed her pen at the scene unfolding near the stage, deciding not to speak. If she didn't speak, she wouldn't technically be to blame if the Agent got into a tough predicament as a result of intervention.

"Hold on." The Agent stated, getting up from her seat turning to start towards Erickson and Williams.

"Agent, you really don't want to do that." Ashley offered, instinctively reaching out and placing a hand on the woman's arm. She would be lying if she said that the Agent wasn't beautiful, and as a female who sometimes wasn't taken seriously due to her looks – she felt that she had to stop the Agent before something unpleasant happened with the two rather traditional alpha males.

"Seaver, they haven't met me yet." The Agent informed with a confident and brilliant smile before heading down the stairs.

Ashley watched as the Agent walked up to Erickson and Williams and spoke a few words to them before gesturing for them to follow her out of the auditorium. They simply laughed and continued on with their actions, not thinking much of the younger female Agent in front of them – even if she was their superior. This caused the Agent to pull her credentials/badge out of her jacket and flash them to the men before stepping closer.

What happened next would stick with Ashley forever. Erickson, being the over-confident jackass that he was, got up in the Agent's face and made a snarky and likely inappropriate remark regarding looks and gender, waving it off before he turned to laugh about it with Williams. He didn't get far though, as the Agent simply grabbed his raised wrist and used the element of surprise to twist his arm behind his back. Erickson wasn't going to let the Agent get off easily, as he spat off something likely derogatory – only to have the much smaller woman subtly take advantage of pressure points, forcing him to lay face down on the floor. The normally macho man's face then started to turn red with pain, and the Agent smiled with satisfaction. Williams attempted to get up to help his friend, but the Agent simply shot him a quick glare and motioned for some arriving security officers who had been alerted by another trainee. The security officers took over, cuffing Erickson and leading him and Williams out of the auditorium to the cheers of more than half of the trainees who filled the space.

The Agent soon thereafter returned to her seat next to Ashley and settled back down as if nothing had happened, causing Ashley to smile.

"That was impressive Agent…" Ashley noted, hoping to glean some information from the woman who had just impressed her beyond belief.

The Agent smiled, offering her hand. "Dylan Navarro."

"Do you mind if I ask where you're assigned?" Ashley asked curiously, shaking the woman's hand.

Dylan shook her head, happy to give the information and talk with a fellow female, even if that female was a trainee. She was fairly new to her current assignment, having only been there for a little over a year, and was still trying to become accepted by the other members of her team. "BAU 3, Crimes Against Children in Maryland. What are you working towards Seaver?"

"I was thinking about BAU 2, a few years back I met some members of that team and they're sort of my inspiration for even thinking about applying to the Bureau." Ashley offered. "Oh, and you can call me Ashley."

Dylan looked up at the door, noticing that the speakers, an older tan-skinned man and a taller lanky male with a shoulder bag had arrived. "Well Ashley, I guess this thing is going to start soon, and my unit chief called right before this and said I have to get back to the office pretty much immediately…" She then reached into her jacket pocket and retrieved a business card, uncapping her pen and scribbling a number on the back before handing it over to Ashley. "But if you ever want to talk, you can call me. I'll answer if I'm not buried in a case or undercover."

Ashley took the card and glanced at the back, figuring that the number Dylan had written down must have been her cell phone number, as her desk extension was on the front of the card. "Thanks Agent Navarro."

"Ashley, you can call me Dylan." Dylan replied as she started to write the date and name of the presentation on her legal pad. She then looked up at Ashley, a genuine look on her face. "And seriously, if you called I would pick up the phone."

**So how did you like it? Please tell me with a review (Anon or Signed, it doesn't matter).**


	2. All I Need

**This chapter is named after "All I Need" by Natasha Bedingfield, and it takes place about two weeks after "The Messenger."**

**Disclaimer: I just write this stuff. I don't own Criminal Minds. However, I DO own my original characters, these plotlines, and everything that goes with them (besides the already established Minds characters of course).**

Ashley didn't know who to call. She couldn't think of any friends she thought could help. Heck, she didn't even have too many friends to begin with. In childhood and adulthood, once friends found out about her father, for all intents and purposes they immediately cut off contact. She even overheard one of her former friends say "she'll probably kill me like her dad did to all those women_"_ when she thought she had put Ashley on hold from a phone conversation. For obvious reasons she couldn't call her father, and she figured her mother would already be sleeping. Ashley didn't want to wake her just to talk about relationship issues.

Unable to think of any solution, Ashley decided to take a nap. She made her way over to her couch, but she realized that she would have to move the pile of books that currently occupied the space before being able to drift away into glorious slumber. Too upset to walk the twelve or so feet to her bedroom, she settled on taking on the small bit of labor. "It's worth it," she said to herself as she started to move the pile.

After setting down the last item, a notebook, she noticed something fall out of one of the pockets. Picking up the small square, Ashley recognized it as the business card of that Agent who sat next to her during the presentation a few weeks ago. She held the card in her hands for about a minute, pondering if she should call the woman. After all, Agent Navarro seemed nice enough, and she _did_ say that Ashley could call if she ever needed to talk.

Taking the plunge, Ashley picked up the cordless phone on her endtable and dialed the number scribbled on the back. After a few rings, Ashley began to wonder if she could be interrupting something important and contemplated hanging up.

"Navarro." The other woman's voice sounded through the receiver, breaking Ashley out of her trance. "Who is this?"

"Agent Navarro, this is Ashley Seaver. You gave me your number a few weeks ago and said I could call if I ever needed to talk." Ashley answered, hoping the woman wouldn't be angry.

The line was silent for a few seconds before the other woman spoke up again. "I meant that, and I also told you to call me Dylan." She let out a small laugh, and Ashley could tell that she was probably smiling along with it. "So what's up?"

"This is going to sound stupid, but I didn't know who else to call." Ashley started, feeling foolish about her impending words. "I kind of just broke up with a guy and I feel like shit."

"Well I'm sure you had good reason to." Dylan replied thoughtfully.

Ashley sighed and flopped down onto now empty couch. "He was such a narcissist, never cared about me. It was always him, all the time. He would even flirt with other girls while I sat right next to him!"

Dylan chuckled. "Well I'd say that's a good reason."

"But I loved him, you know?"

"I know the feeling, but you can't be with someone who makes you feel like shit. It'll ruin you." Dylan offered before the line went silent.

"Agen…" Ashley started before catching her slip-up. "Dylan?" She asked, hoping the woman was still on the other line. The rustling of paper and car keys soon broke her worry.

"Sorry about that, I had to get my keys." Dylan answered, coming back onto the line. "Do you know where Lauderman's Creamery is? It's a small farm not too far from the Maryland/Virginia line."

"I've heard of it. Why do you want to know?" Ashley questioned, genuinely curious.

"I want you to meet me there in one hour." Dylan well-meaningly commanded. "Trust me, okay?"

Ashley got off her couch and grabbed her keys, not even questioning why she was pretty much blindly trusting a woman she had only met once before. "I'll be there."

**35 minutes later.**

After a drive that took her through a few small towns and a piece of farm country, Ashley pulled her car into the gravel parking lot of the small farm off the beaten path. She had heard about the family-owned farm and ice cream shop from a few of the other trainees – but she never had an excuse to travel there until now. Shutting off the engine, she decided to take a quick look around before getting out of her car. It was a nice, quaint little place. A few small barns were visible, all with different farm animals roaming their fenced in areas. Picnic tables and benches were laid out in an area in front of the ice cream shop, giving the customers a perfect view of a small area that housed a few adorable looking goats. The only customers at the moment was a family sitting at one of the tables in front of the cows, as she admired their friendly relationship with one another – she spotted Dylan approaching her from the horse enclosure. Wrapping her light cardigan around herself, she got out of her car – making sure that she locked it – before meeting Dylan halfway.

"So how are you?" Ashley asked, pushing her blonde hair behind her ear.

Dylan shook her head, a small smile forming on her tanned features. "I should be asking you that. Come on, they have the best ice cream here. Let's get some and then we'll talk."

**10 minutes later.**

The family gone now, Dylan and Ashley had the entire establishment to themselves as they sat together at one of the benches facing the enclosure holding a baby goat and his mother. The blonde nursed a cup of vanilla frozen yogurt with rainbow sprinkles, as her dark haired friend swirled a plastic spoon around in her cup of strawberry ice cream with chocolate sprinkles. They hadn't spoken since paying for their treats, instead opting for somewhat of an awkward silence as they stared out at the animals.

"You need to talk." Dylan commented before taking a bite of her now blended concoction.

Ashley scoffed. "You want to talk?" A small amount of aggravation then began to invade her voice. "I'm never okay. I can't trust anybody. Every single guy I date takes advantage of me…" She trailed off, placing down her cup of frozen yogurt and walking up to the fence to admire the baby goat.

Dylan put her own dessert down and followed Ashley, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It will be okay."

"No, it won't. You know my father was a serial killer right? They called him 'The Redmond Ripper.' He took advantage of my family, and it's just destined that I be taken advantage of by all the guys I date." Ashley started to tear up, her voice wavering as she pushed the other woman's hand away. "They could care less about me, _especially_ when they find out! I can't even make any real friends because they think I'm going to freakin' butcher them like my father did!"

Dylan didn't say a word as she simply wrapped her arms around the blonde, allowing her a much needed shoulder to cry on. After the tears subsided, Dylan led Ashley back to the bench and they sat down.

"I bet you want to leave now, right?" Ashley asked somewhat sarcastically, although she wouldn't have been surprised if it turned out to be true. She moved to wipe her tears on the sleeve of her cardigan.

Dylan grabbed the blonde's arm before she could move any further. "Listen to me." She commanded in a soft tone as she gingerly wiped her friend's tears on the sleeve of her long-sleeved maroon t-shirt. "I already knew and I didn't leave."

The revelation knocked Ashley out of her emotional funk. "You knew?"

"Before I was placed in my first assignment and before I joined Crimes Against Children, I worked in personnel while they found somewhere to put me. I came across your file. It didn't hit me that I had sat next to you during that presentation until after you gave me your name, but I thought you were nice. I wanted to start fresh, give us both a fair chance." Dylan revealed.

"In a strange way, that's the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me." Ashley laughed, her voice still tinged with a bit of sadness. "I hope you don't think I'm crazy for subjecting you to this."

Dylan shook her head and pushed a bit of Ashley's hair back behind her ear. "I said you could call me at any time. I meant that. I really did."

"You know you have to tell me something about yourself now." Ashley joked, the sadness subsiding. "It's only fair."

Dylan shook her head. "That's not really necessary."

Ashley simply gave her new friend a pleading look.

"Fine." Dylan sighed, half-jokingly, as she succumbed to the blonde's wishes. "I'm Filipino on my mother's side. My father left when I was six, and I still don't know where he went or much about him besides the fact that he insisted I have a unisex name due to his lack of a son. When I got old enough I took my mother's maiden name because I had no reason to stay connected to him. She remarried when I turned seventeen, and Bill's been more of a dad to me than I can even remember my own father ever being." She chuckled a bit, trying to lighten the mood. "So I guess we both have daddy issues?" She then paused, catching a possible mistake, and hurried to explain herself. "Not that mine is comparable to yours of course, I'm just saying…"

"Dylan, I understand." Ashley responded.

A bit of silence hung in the air after the revelations, both women unsure of where to go next. Dylan, tired of waiting, decided to seize the moment as she turned and began to lean in towards the blonde.

Before Ashley knew it, a pair of lips was on hers. She deepened the kiss for a few seconds before breaking away and looking into her friend's eyes. "What…?" She let out, honestly confused at what just happened – and her own reaction towards it. "What was that?"

"I know I shouldn't have done that, but it's what you deserve." Dylan answered simply and honestly before gesturing towards the parking lot. "You can leave and never talk to me again if you want to."

Ashley looked deep into the other woman's eyes, and what she saw was often what she felt like herself. Dylan was someone scared to let people in, who put up walls just to get through each and every day. "I don't want to." In a move bolder than any she had made before, she leaned towards the dark haired woman and kissed her back.


End file.
